Bad Decisions
by Silent Angel of Time
Summary: It's 4 years after Lizzie, Gordo and Miranda went their seperate ways after the start of high school. When one of them has a crisis can they come back together to help her through it?Updated 2-21
1. Chapter 1

~*~  
"But we promised if we got into another fight we would never stop talking to each other." Miranda states, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
"We aren't fighting Miranda." Lizzie replies, "we are just deciding to go our own ways. Doing the mature thing, and doing what makes sense."  
"It doesn't make sense! We've been friends out entire lives!" Miranda cries jumping to her feet and pacing her room.  
"Miranda, it does make sense." Gordo adds, "we just don't have all that much in common anymore. We are all interested in different things..."  
"We've always been interested in different things." Miranda interrupts starring out her window, her back turned toward her friends.  
Lizzie brushes away the tears trickling down her own cheeks, "that's true, but this is different. We don't ever see each other anymore, none of us has the time to just hang out at the Digital Bean, or the mall or whatever. It's not anybody's fault, but we're in high school now, things change."  
"Lizzie's right." Gordo responds, his face, too, looks sad. "But if we go our separate ways, now, before we do start fighting then maybe we stand the chance of still being able to do things every once in awhile. To be friends."  
"Fine, whatever." Miranda waves Gordo and Lizzie off, never taking her eyes off of whatever is outside the window.  
~*~  
  
18-year-old Elizabeth 'Beth" McGuire sits up in bed her, awoken by her own tears. Sitting completely upright Beth pulls her knees to her chest, she wraps her arms around her knees and rest her cheek on them, staring out the window. The sky past her curtains is the color that decorates the sky between midnight and dawn, between unconscious and conscious. A part of Beth wants to believe the news that she had received yesterday was part of that unconscious, but she knows that it's not, and that it's a reality she has to face in several hours.  
  
~*~  
"Lizzie are you OK?" Jo McGuire asks as her daughter slips quietly passed her in the kitchen and toward the stairs.  
When Jo's freshman daughter turns her face toward her Jo is stopped by the expression on her face. "I'll be fine." Lizzie promises.  
"What happened? Did you and Miranda and Gordo get into a fight?" Jo asks cautiously.  
"Nope," Lizzie shakes her head almost zombie like, "no fight."  
"Then what's wrong?" Jo asks moving closer to her daughter.  
"Gordo, Miranda and I kind of decided that it's better if we go separate ways. I have drama and Jason, Gordo has all his clubs and school, and Miranda has her music." Lizzie states, her voice unemotional.  
"Lizzie-" Jo starts.  
"I'm going to go out with Jason tonight, is that all right?" Lizzie asks.  
"Lizzie-"  
"Please, mom."  
"If that;s what you want Lizzie." Jo responds with a sigh.  
"That's what I want."  
~*~  
  
Beth jolts awake to the sound of her alarm going off, 6, she'd fallen asleep for another hour. Stretching from her uncomfortable position she leans over her bed to shut the annoying beeping off.  
Rubbing her eyes Beth grabs her towel and clothes and makes her way the bathroom to shower and dress quickly. When she emerges in the kitchen 15 minutes later both Jo and Sam are all ready awake drinking cups of coffee and reading the newspaper. But both turn their attention away from the paper to give their daughter sympathetic looks.  
"Hi Sweetie, how did you sleep?" Jo asks getting up and pouring Beth a glance of orange juice.  
"Fine." Beth lies taking the glass from her mother.  
"Are you going to go to the hospital today?" Sam asks cautiously.  
Beth bites her lip and then replies, "I don't know, I have to be at play practice in an hour."  
"Beth-" Jo begins but thinking better of it shuts her mouth. "Do you want me to take you to practice?"  
Beth shakes her head, "I can drive thanks."  
  
"Elizabeth McGuire you are late!" Beth cringes as her director begins her tirade. Sophie Carem could be the nicest person outside of the play, but when it came to making sure a production got off without a hitch she could be brutal.  
"I know Sophie, I'm sorry I jut couldn't get going this morning." Beth apologizes.  
"Beth, I'm serious I can't have a lead who can't make it to practices on time. I will pull you and put in your swing." Sophie states.  
Beth nods, "I understand. I won't be late again, I swear."  
"Good." Sophie nods, "get dressed."  
"Are you OK?" Bruni Charnell asks as soon as Beth walks backstage.  
Lizzie runs a hand across her eyes, "of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"  
"As your best friend I have every right to tell you this, you look like shit." Bruni responds.  
Beth sighs, "I didn't sleep that well last night."  
"Is it about that girl you used to go to middle school with who tried to kill herself?" Bruni questions.  
Beth turns quickly to face Bruni, "how do you know about Miranda?"  
Bruni shrugs, "I overheard Veruca and someone else talking about it."  
Beth swallows hard, "I don't want to talk about it."  
Bruni shrugs, "OK." 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Before I start I just want to respond to a review I got, the fight and separation between Lizzie, Gordo and Miranda was their freshman year and it is now their senior year, I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. Oh and by the way if you haven't seen the Lizzie McGuire movie Ms. Undermyer (I'm not sure if I spelled that right) is the high school principal.  
  
"You're at school early Mr. Gordon." Ms. Ungermyer comments.  
  
Gordo nods, "yes mam. I have a lab I wanted to start work on."  
  
"Mr. Gordon..." Ms. Ungermyer seems to want to say something else and finally with a sigh and a shake of her head she walks away. "All right Mr. Gordon."  
  
With Ms. Ungermyer gone Gordo slips back into the library hoping to find some peace. Since he had gotten home the night before his parents had wanted to do nothing more than talk about what had happened to Miranda . He really loved his parents but he had needed parents last night, not shrinks but even more than that now he needed to think things out himself.   
  
Resting his elbows on the table Gordo buries his head in his hands trying to put a single thought together. In 12 hours he hadn't been able to piece together how any of this had happened. He, Lizzie and Miranda hadn't spoken for years but he had seen them both around, he couldn't help but keep an eye on the two people who had once been his best friends. Lizzie was doing great, she was thriving in the spotlight like she had always wanted; she was part of the "in-crowd" and she didn't seem to have a care in the world. In other words she was typical Lizzie. Miranda may not have been thriving away from her old middle school crowd like Lizzie had been, but she didn't seem to be doing terribly either; which was why Gordo couldn't figure out how any of this had happened. How Miranda hadn't been able to think of any thing else to do but attempt to end her life. Gordo had tossed and turned all toying with the idea of whether or not he had any right to go and see her in the hospital. If she had really wanted his help Miranda would have come to him in the first place right?  
  
"David the bell rang." Gordo is startled out of his thoughts by the librarian gently touching his shoulder.  
  
"Right." Gordo stands up, "thanks."  
  
Numbly Gordo heads toward his first hour, he couldn't think anymore at least not about Miranda and was hoping for the distraction that first period AP Calc would provide.   
  
Gordo takes his seat in class a minute before the bell was to ring, "Hey Dave did you..."  
  
The bell cuts of Sara Parker's statement and the teachers immediate start of class end any other conversation between the two friends.  
  
"We've got a sub in physics." Sara informs Gordo and their other group of friends. "Last minute, no plans or anything, I checked this morning. We've got a free period."  
  
"Sounds good." Alan nods as the group enters the classroom and sits at the assigned table they share.  
  
"So did you guys hear about that girl?" Sara asks.  
  
"The girl who tried to kill herself?" Kristy asks.  
  
Sara nods and Alan states, "I heard she's part of some freaky cult."  
  
"Really?" Kristy asks, "what's that got to do with killing herself?"  
  
Alan shrugs, "who knows, you never now with those freaky cults."  
  
"Do you really think she was in a cult?" Sara asks.  
  
"Who knows?" Alan shrugs.  
  
"She was kind of weird." Kristy points out.  
  
Gordo quickly moves to his feet, "I-I've got to go."  
  
"Dave we have class." Kristy points toward the sub who has begun to take attendance.  
  
"I've got to go." Gordo states turning on his heal.  
  
"Dave-" Gordo doesn't pay any attention to his friends calling his name, for the first time in his four years in high school David Gordo was skipping class.  
  
By the time Gordo realizes that he has been walking around for hours the sun is nearly directly in the sky and his forehead is lined in sweat and he is standing in front of the park, after realizing he had passed it nearly 5 times all ready.  
  
Walking toward the swing Gordo finds someone all ready sitting on the swing set, the girl's blonde hair lifts lightly in the breeze. Without a word Gordo moves toward the empty swing and sits quietly down on it. The girl doesn't say anything, doesn't even acknowledge that she knows he is there, but Gordo knows she is well aware of his appearance.   
  
Neither is sure of the time that passes in silence but Lizzie is the first to break the silence, "Gordo, I'm scared, and I don't know what to do."  
  
"My parents think we should go visit her in the hospital." Gordo states.  
  
Lizzie bites her lip as more tears fill eyes, "I don't know if I can..."  
  
Gordo reaches for Lizzie hand and squeezes it gently, "they're right, we have to go."  
  
"I know, I've got my car, let's go." 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
"We should go in." Gordo states for what feels like the millionth time in the last 15 minutes. From the instant Lizzie had pulled into an empty parking spot and shut off her car Lizzie and Gordo had sat in silence that was only broken when Gordo suggested they get out of the car. Gordo always suggested, Lizzie always nodded and then neither of them would make any sort of move to get out of the car.  
  
"I can't go in." Lizzie states breaking the cycle finally.  
  
"What? Why?" Gordo asks staring at her.  
  
"I just, I can't face her." Lizzie turns her face away from Gordo, but it's obvious she is crying.  
  
"Why not?" Gordo ask, "what did you do?"  
  
"I wasn't there for her when she obviously needed me.""Lizzie - this isn't your fault, freshman year we all went our own ways. We've had no real contact with each other since then."  
  
"Don't you see? It's my fault we went our own ways in the first place." Lizzie's voice shakes as she speaks.  
  
"Lizzie that wasn't your fault. We all made the choice to go our separate ways."  
  
Lizzie shakes her head, "no it wasn't. I was so damn afraid that I would get left behind."  
  
"What?" Gordo questions, this information was new to him.  
  
Lizzie takes a ragged breath, before speaking again, "everyone was talking, freshman year, about how in high school you drift away from people you've been friends with and i was so scared that you and Miranda would get so busy you would leave me behind. So I did the only thing I could think of, I took advantage of a stupid fight and broke away from you guys. I thought it would be more painless this way. We would just all go our separate ways and make new friends. I convinced you that this was right, but Miranda was against it the whole time. Don't you see Gordo, this is all my fault." With her words Lizzie leans her head against the steering wheel her hair hiding her face from Gordo's view.  
  
Gordo sits awkwardly for a minute before gently touching Lizzie's shoulder, "this isn't your fault Lizzie. Sure Miranda was going through something but you can't take responsibility for not being there for her. You didn't know, you can't blame yourself. If anything I am more to blame then you are."  
  
Lizzie lifts her head her blue eyes are swimming in tears, "what?"  
  
"I've been watching you guys since Freshman year....I noticed that she seemed really different and there were times when I would think that maybe she needed someone to talk to. But I never did anything about it, I just brushed her off like an old newspaper."  
  
"Gordo..." Lizzie seems lost for words and Gordo knows that he is right, that he is to blame. "Gordo, no. If I'm not to blame then you aren't either. Or maybe we're both to blame, I don't know anymore. I don't understand how we got her. How we got from the three of us being inseparable to the two of us not even knowing what could have spurred her to commit suicide."  
  
"Then I guess that's why we need to get out of this car and walk into the hospital and go see her." Gordo responds, and this time he unbuckles his seatbelt and opens the door. By the time Lizzie has gotten up the nerve to go the same Gordo is waiting around the front of the car for her.  
  
"Do you think we are doing the right thing?" Lizzie questions as they walk slowl toward the hospital doors.  
  
Gordo shrugs, "I'm not sure. Our parents seem to think so. And if they don't want us to see her I'm sure her parents aren't going to let us into her hospital room."  
  
Yeah, I guess I never thought of that." Lizzie stops, "oh my God Gordo I never thought about Miranda's family. They must be taking this so hard."  
  
"I'm sure it can't be easy." Gordo sighs as they continue walking, "maybe we should bring her something." Gordo suggests as they pass a gift shop.  
  
Lizzie nod sand follows Gordo into the small cluttered gift shop, "So what do we get her?"  
  
Gordo shrugs, "I'm not sure, a card?"  
  
"That says what? Sorry I wasn't a good enough friend?"  
  
"Good point. A stuffed animal?"  
  
"Maybe," Lizzie nods heading to the section with stuffed bears holding signs that said things like: "Get well soon", "it's a girl", "it's a boy" and various other lame clichés.   
  
"OK maybe not." Gordo sighs as he and Lizzie work their way further back into the store.  
  
"Flowers." Lizzie finally decides.  
  
Gordo nods, "I guess they say everything without really saying anything."  
  
"Carnations and baby's breath, Miranda loves baby's breath."  
  
"Carnations and baby's breath it is then." Gordo states pulling open the door and picking up the bouquet and vase. Once Gordo and Lizzie have paid for flowers they head toward the large nurses station.  
  
Lizzie and Gordo exchange glances and Gordo finally asks the busy nurse, "could you tell us where we an find Miranda Sanchez?"  
  
The nurse types a few things into her computer before responding, "she is on floor six, room 207."  
  
"Thank you," Lizzie shoots over her shoulder as they hurry toward the elevators. A woman has an elevator held open for them but Gordo waves her ahead.  
  
The elevator ride to the sixth floor seems both painfully slower and entirely to quick for both Lizzie and Gordo. The elevator opens in the sixth floor waiting room revealing Miranda's family there. Miranda's two younger siblings sit at a table in the waiting room coloring in coloring books while Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez argue loudly. Miranda's older sister is the only one to notice Lizzie and Gordo's entrance.  
  
"Lizzie, Gordo," 23-year-old Marisa walks toward the two.  
  
"Hi Marisa," Lizzie greets unsure of how Marisa is going to react to Lizzie and Gordo's appearance.  
  
"I'm glad you guys are here, Miranda will be glad to see you."  
  
Lizzie and Gordo exchange glances, obviously Marisa didn't know neither of them had spoken to Miranda in three and a half years.  
  
"What are your parents arguing about?" Lizzie questions staring at the normally calm Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez.  
  
Marisa shrugs, "who knows, since they got divorced they can't be in the same room together without arguing about one stupid thing or the other. Miranda's sleeping right now, I'm sure she'll be awake soon though."  
  
"How's she doing?" Gordo questions.  
  
Marisa leads Lizzie and Gordo to the opposite wall of the waiting room, "she's pretty out of it. She just woke up this morning, she was completely out of it all night. With the amount of sleeping pulls she took they weren't sure if she would wake up or not. She lost a lot of blood but they were more worried about the pills in her system."  
  
Lizzie has her head buried in her hands so Gordo asks, "but she's going to be OK?"  
  
Marisa wipes a stray tear off her cheek and responds, "physically she is going to be fine. Emotionally," Marisa shrugs, "I'm not sure. Do you have any idea why she would do such a thing? I saw her during summer break and she seemed a little down but I didn't think…"  
  
"None of us thought…" Lizzie's words are barely a whisper.  
  
"Well," Marisa stands, "why don't you guys do on into her room. She should be up."  
  
Lizzie and Gordo nod and walk toward the hospital door. Pushing the door open gently Lizzie and Gordo are faced with a shocked looking Miranda, sitting in bed with dried tears streaking down her cheeks.   
  
"Hi Miranda." Lizzie greets quietly.  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" Miranda questions harshly. "Here to look at the freak who tried to kill herself?" 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four  
  
I don't actually know where this chapter came from, I guess as a senior in high school I've put what I've learned about high school into this chapter, anyway I hope you like it!  
  
"Miranda, don't say that." Lizzie begs, trying to avoid crying in front of Miranda.  
  
"All right, so what should I say?" Miranda's voice is cold, "should I say, oh hey guys, what's up?"  
  
"Is that what you want us to say?" Gordo inquires, "Do you want us to pretend that nothing happened, because we can do that?"  
  
"That's not what I want?"  
  
"Then what do you want?" Lizzie asks, "cause if we can do anything, we will."  
  
"I want you two to leave me alone. You don't know me anymore, you don't know anything about me. So stop pretending you care because you feel guilty."  
  
Gordo looks over at Lizzie who has tears streaming down her cheeks. With a sob Lizzie flees the hospital room. "Are you sure you want us to leave?" When Miranda doesn't say anything else Gordo whispers, "cal us if you need anything, we'll be ready to help if you need us." Once again Miranda doesn't respond so Gordo slips out the door only to find Lizzie sitting on the floor, her knees to her chest, sobbing.  
  
"Lizzie, get up, come on, you are making a scene." Gordo states before thinking and then he sighs, this is what his life had become. There had been a time when he would have been on the floor with Lizzie attempting to comfort her. Dave had become a bitter and cynical person, nothing like the Gordo Lizzie had known.  
  
Lizzie looks up at Gordo, her brown eyes filled with tears, "how can you just say `that. She hates us, she doesn't want anything to do with us."  
  
Gordo sighs and sinks down next to Lizzie. "If she wants out help then she'll have to ask us for it. We can't force out help on her, not if she doesn't want it."  
  
"I just want things to go back to the way they were. I just want to go back to Freshman year when things were so easy."  
  
Gordo leans his head back against the tile wall, "I know what you mean. As the years go on it seems like things keep getting harder. Graces, college applications...."  
  
"Keeping up appearances." Lizzie's voice is shaking as she says the words, wiping at the tears still streaming down her cheeks, "I'm ready to get home, do you want me to take you back to school?"  
  
"No, it's all right, I think I'm going to hand around here for awhile, I'll take a bus back to school."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"I'm sure, I'll talk to you later."  
  
When Lizzie walked into her house an hour early her mother seemed to be waiting for her. "The school called," Jo comments setting down her mug of coffee. "You didn't show up at any of your classes."  
  
"Gordo and I went to the hospital."  
  
"All right, how is Miranda doing?" Jo asks.  
  
"I wouldn't know, she wouldn't see us, I'm going to sleep."  
  
"I'll call you in if you want."  
  
Lizzie shrugs, "whatever."  
  
Lizzie is crawling into bed when her cell phone rang, "what?" Lizzie asks sharply.  
  
"For someone who didn't show up to any of her classes you sure are in a bad mood." It's Amy, another girl in the school play and a friend of both Lizzie's and Bruni's.  
  
"It's been a long day." Lizzie sighs.  
  
"Well I have a suggestion for a good way to end it. Sophie said practice ran well this morning and she's giving us a free Friday night."  
  
"I couldn't have gone to practice anyway, I didn't go to class so it doesn't much matter either way to me."  
  
"Right, so you didn't know that Bruni's parents are out of town and she's throwing a party."  
  
"I don't think so." Lizzie responds.  
  
"Come on, you can loosen up. You know Bruni, there'll be great music, you can dance, hang out. Come on her mom just catered a wedding there's left over food. Good music, good food..."  
  
"Good alcohol." Lizzie states bitterly.  
  
"Oh, come on Lizzie, you don't have to drink. It'll be fun and you can loosen up."  
  
"I'm not drinking."  
  
"You know I won't force you."  
  
"I'll talk to my parents."  
  
"Great, I'll pick you up at seven, all right?"  
  
By 6:50 Lizzie was ready to leave, her mother had only allowed her to go because she need to cool off, Amy showed up on time in the red mustang that had been a 18th birthday present from her parents.  
  
"Bye Mom!" Lizzie calls before hurrying out of the house and five minutes later they pulled up in front of Bruni's huge house. Lizzie groans inwardly, Kate, a friend of Bruni's as well, was standng near the entrance.  
  
"I figured you'd be at the hospital." Kate comments.  
  
"Well I'm not." Lizzie hisses before continuing inward.  
  
"What's she talking about?" Amy questions.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Hello ladies." Brie, Bruni's twin brother, approaches them wearing his mother's cheesy pink and edged in white lace apron and carrying a tray of short glasses full of amber liquid. "Can I offer you a drink?"  
  
"Lizzie isn't drinking and I pass too." Amy responds.  
  
Lizzie stops a minute as her brain is launched into an internal battle, every part of her wanted to take that drink. How many times in the last month had she had this internal battle and beat the urge? "Screw it." Lizzie announces grabbing the shot glass off of Brice's tray.  
  
"Elizabeth!" Amy exclaims. Lizzie downs the hard liquor before Amy can talk her out of it and she quickly swallows a second round. "Brice, go." Amy orders before turning on Lizzie, "what the hell are you doing?"  
  
"What's the point?" Lizzie asks, "you live, you die, you might as well have a good time in-between."  
  
"Beth, a month ago you gave up drinking. You said you were done not being able to remember any of your weekends. Drinking yourself asleep, you said you were done with all of it."  
  
Lizzie can feel the pain surface again, despite how the alcohol had numbed it seconds earlier. "Amy stop! I don't want to have this conversation! I'm here to have a good time, I'll catch you later."  
  
Gordo had been lying in his bedroom for an hour, his parents thought he was asleep. Gordo had avoided his parents all afternoon and in into the evening. He knew they got the call from school, he'd checked caller ID every time the phone rang, he couldn't figure out if he was hoping Miranda would call, or Lizzie. When the phone rang at 10:30 Gordo glanced at the caller ID and not recognizing the number Gordo dropped the phone back on his bed.   
  
Several seconds later there was a knock on his door and his mother called softly, "David, the telephone is for you!"  
  
"Who is it?" Gordo calls back.  
  
"Kate." Gordo's mother sounds surprised.  
  
Gordo rolls his eyes, "tell her I'm not taking calls."  
  
"She says it's important."  
  
Gordo sighs and picks up the phone beside him, "what do you want Kate?"  
  
"I thought you should know," Kate's voice is muffled by the sound of a lot of other voices, "I'm at a party and Lizzie's here, she's a little plastered, she may need a ride home."  
  
"Can't you take her home?"  
  
"I could but I think you should."  
  
"Fine, where are you?" Gordo gets the address and hands up the phone. "Dammit."  
  
"Where are you going David?" Roberta Gordon asks when Gordo storms out of his room.  
  
"I have to take care of something." Gordo responds, "a friend needs."  
  
"All right, be safe."  
  
Gordo swings into an empty spot along the sidewalk and slamming his door he hurries up the driveway. "Where is she?" Gordo asks Kate, whom he spots right away.  
  
"Well knowing Lizzie at these parties, on the dance floor or wherever the alcohol is."  
  
Gordo is taken aback by this statement, this didn't sound like the Lizzie he had grown up with and Gordo suddenly remembers Lizzie's statement earlier that day, about keeping up appearances. Gordo heads straight for the dance floor. Gordo sighs when he can't find her in the throng of people there. Turning around Gordo begins to search the large house for where the alcohol was located. He finds Lizzie first, she has a red plastic cup in her hand.  
  
"Gordo!" Lizzie exclaims hurrying over to Gordo, placing her hands enthusiastically on his chest. Patting his chest she asks, "are you having fun?"  
  
"I just got here." Gordo responds.  
  
"Oh, well, the kegs over there." Lizzie giggles and moves the direction her arm is pointing in, "or over there, I can't remember. But," Lizzie's arms flail, "I can show you."  
  
"No, I'm good, why don't we get going?"  
  
"Going where?" Lizzie asks, "cause, I'm not gonna have sex with you." Lizzie sing songs.  
  
"I was thinking something more along the lines of leaving the party."  
  
"What? Why? That's silly." Lizzie pushes Gordo's chest weakly.  
  
"Come on Lizzie," Gordo slightly grabs Lizzie's arm.  
  
"No!" Lizzie jerks her arm away from Gordo, "I wanna dance."  
  
Gordo catches Ethan's gaze over Lizzie's shoulder. Ethan looks sad and he makes his way through the people, "hey McGuire." Ethan greets.  
  
"Ethan!" Lizzie giggles, "how are you?" Lizzie throws her arms around Ethan's neck. "I'd have sex with you."  
  
"Lizzie why don't you go with Gordo?" Ethan asks.  
  
Lizzie glances up at Ethan and before she can say anything she collapses into his arms. "I'll carry her to your car." Ethan offers.  
  
"Thanks," Gordo responds and once the two guys, who haven't spoken in years move several yard Gordo breaks the silence. "Does she do this often?"  
  
Ethan is slow to answer ,"she hasn't in awhile, but she used to, although usually not this bad. I don't know if I've seen her this bad since the first time she got drunk." Gordo must have a strange expression on her face because Than explains, "she's not the same as she was when you were all friends."  
  
"But at school she seems so put together." Gordo states opening the passenger door.  
  
"Gordon, man, for someone so smart you don't seem to get it. In high school no one is anything like they seem to be in high school. Everyone plays a role in high school, some are better at hiding it than others. Lizzie is excellent at hiding how miserable she is, she's got serious drinking problems and self-esteem, don't go there. And your friend Alan, I bet you don't know he is a crack addict." Ethan lifts his eyebrows, "never would have guessed it, he hides it well."  
  
"All right I admit Lizzie and Alan shock me, but that's not everyone, there are normal people in high school, happy people..."  
  
"Maybe, but everyone has a secret to hide, some people have to many secrets. To many secrets to hide from everyone that sometimes it just seems like it would be easier not to have to deal with any of it anymore." 


End file.
